Key Takeaways
Meat and poultry are shrink wrapped by enclosing a frozen tray or a whole bird in food-grade polyolefin (POF) film, sealing it on an L-bar or side bar sealer, and passing it through a shrink tunnel that pulls the film tight. Most meat shrink wrapped in South Africa is frozen and already in a tray, while whole chickens are wrapped directly in pre-perforated film so trapped air can escape. The result is a clear, tamper-evident outer pack. Shrink wrap does not remove air, so fresh cuts that need a longer shelf life are vacuum, MAP or skin packed instead. The recommended setup is on the meat wrapping machine page.
The recommended setup for frozen meat trays and whole chickens, with pack sizes, film and a trial offer.
Shrink wrap gives meat and poultry a clear, tight outer pack that holds the product together, keeps dust and handling damage off it, and shows at once if the pack has been opened. Sealed on every side, the pack keeps the tray and its contents together through the freezer, transport and the retail shelf, and clear film lets the buyer see the product without opening it. That is what shrink wrap is for on meat: presentation, protection and tamper evidence.
Fresh steak and other fresh cuts are not usually shrink wrapped because shrink film does not take the air out of the pack. Food-grade polyolefin is a very low oxygen barrier, made for presentation and protection rather than preservation, so it does not extend the refrigerated shelf life of fresh meat. Fresh cuts that depend on shelf life are vacuum packed, packed in a modified atmosphere (MAP) tray or skin packed, which are different machines. Shrink wrap suits meat that is frozen, already in a tray or inner pack, or a whole bird.
Whole chickens are shrink wrapped on an L-bar sealer and shrink wrap machine with a shrink tunnel. The operator places each bird into centre-fold film, the L-bar seals and trims the pack in one stroke, and the tunnel shrinks the film tight around the bird. Pre-perforated film lets the air in the cavity and around the shape escape as the film shrinks, which gives an even wrap without balloons of trapped air. Whole chickens up to about 2 kg fit the sealing frame. On higher-volume lines where birds arrive on a conveyor, a side bar sealer seals them as they move.
Trays that tolerate the heat of the shrink tunnel can go through it; polystyrene (Styrofoam) trays cannot. Polystyrene is heat sensitive, so a meat tray that is going to be shrink wrapped is chosen for the tunnel as much as for the meat. If you are unsure about your tray, send it to us with a sample of your product and we will run it through the tunnel in a trial.
Shrink wrapping meat and poultry comes down to three decisions: whether the pack needs the air taken out (if it does, shrink wrap is the wrong technology), whether your tray survives the tunnel, and whether whole birds need pre-perforated film. The recommended machine, pack sizes and film are on the meat wrapping machine page, and food-grade film and South African food packaging rules are covered in how to shrink wrap food safely. Compare all four machines on the shrink wrap machines page.
Some can. Whole chickens and frozen meat are shrink wrapped directly in food-grade polyolefin, without a tray. Fresh cuts are normally trayed or packed first, and if they need a longer shelf life they are vacuum, MAP or skin packed rather than shrink wrapped.
No. Each pack passes through the tunnel on a belt in seconds, and for meat the tunnel temperature and dwell time are set low, so the film shrinks around the frozen pack without thawing it.
Yes, when the film is certified food-grade polyolefin wherever it touches the meat. PVC shrink film is avoided for direct food contact. Anti-fog grades keep the pack clear on chilled product, and heavier gauges suit bone-in meat.
Send us your product, your tray and the volume you need per hour, and we will specify the shrink wrap machine that suits it, with installation by our own technicians, a one-year warranty, CE marking on request and spares held in Johannesburg. You can also send a sample and we will trial-wrap it at our Johannesburg showroom before you buy.
